Brick-cleaning machine.



.l. 1. HARDIN. BRICK CLEANING MACHINE.

1 APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. 1916.

Patented Sept. ll, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. J. HARDIN.

BRICK CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mu) NOV.18. mus.

J. J. HARDIN.

BRICKCLEANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV-18.1916- LQfiQAEQ PatentedSept. 11, 191?.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lit)

JACQUES J'. HARDI N, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

BRICK-CLEANIN G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 191?.

Application filed November 18, 1916. Serial No. 132,098.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAc Uns J. HARDIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-CleaningMachines, of which the following is a specification. V

My invention relates to apparatus for cleaning bricks. l

Bricks which have been used for building purposes are entirelyserviceable for a second use, especially for inside walls to beplastered over or as fillers in man positions, provided the hardplaster, cement or the like can be cleaned therefrom at a reasonablecost. Heretofore such cleaning has been done practically entirely byhand.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide mechanicalmeans for cleaning such torily and at comparatively small expense, meanswhich are simple of construction, strong and durable, and with partsreadily interchangeable and replaceable as may be required by wear.Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification Ihave illustrated a preferred embodiment of these improvements, Figure 1being a top plan of the machine; Fig. 2 being a fragmentary detailshowing in face view the lever connection which appears adjacent to itin Fig. 1; Fig. 3 being a side elevation of the machine, numerous partswithin the casing being shown in dottedlines; Fig. 4 being a medialsectional view of one of the two cleaning rotors, fragments ofassociated parts also being shown; Fig. 5 being a fragmentary sectionalview of the two rotors, as on the line 55 of Fig. 4 or 5-5 of Fig. 1;Fig. 6 being a top view of one of the rotor frames and cutters; and Fig.7 being a fragmentary detail showing one of the hand levers andconnected parts. a

The housing 10 is suitably of cast iron and is formed in two main partssecured together as by bolts 11, and is supported upon standards 12. Inslot-like openings 14 in the side walls of the housing are slidablypositioned journal bearings 15 and 16, the openings 14 being enlarged atone end, as at 17, whereby the split journal bearings 15 and- 16 may bereadily positioned therein. Withinthe journal bearings 16, as Well shownin Fig.-

bricks rapidly and satisfac has an axial recess 22 in which the stud 21may rotate and also slide longitudinally. The shaft 20 carries thesuitably cast iron circular rotor frame 23 rigidly thereon, as by thekey 24. This rotor frame 23 is provided with a frusto conical clutchsurface 25. The shaft 19 carries rigidly the interfitting frusto conicalfriction clutch part 26, as by the pin 26 and an auxiliary cast ironrotor frame 27 is secured upon the shaft 19 in adjustable relationthereto by the spline 28 and set screw 29.

As the two rotors A and'B are alike so far as the features alreadydescribed are concerned and as to additional features, it will benecessary to describe further in detail merely the one illustrated inFig. 4. The rotor frame 23 carries a plurality of hollow cylindricalcutters 30., shown in section in Fig. 4, in side view in Fig. 6 and inface view in Fig. 5, a total of 16 of such cutters being carried by eachrotor frame 23. An equal number of the same kind of cutters 31 iscarried by the rotor frame 27, the cutters 30 and 31 being opposed toeach other and spaced apart normally the thickness of a brick. Thecutters 30 and 31 are of such diameter as to cover one-half of each sideof a brick in its longitudinal directions. These cutters arerespectively secured to the rotor frames by bolts 32 and 33, the cuttersbeing of hardened steel and having serrated edges where they engage themortar upon the brick. The rotor frame 23 also carries a plurality ofcutters 34 and 35 side by side in alternate arrangement, the cutters 34being starwheels having a considerably large number of cuttingchisel-like edges, the cutters 35 being disks brought to a V-shapedcutting edge at the periphery thereof, and both kinds being of hardenedsteel. Sufficicnt of them are arranged in alternate arrangement to coverthe edge portion of a brick. They are secured upon bolts 36 whereby eachbattery of them may rotate upon their respective bolts 36 when the brickis being engaged by them. Their action is to cut and dig into, and pryand force loose,

the mortar upon the edge portions of the brick. I

To accommodate the heads of the bolts 36 I, of the casing out of oneopening an annular recess 37 is fo'rmedin the rotor frame 27. In orderto adjust the cutters 30 and 31 closer to or farther from each other toaccommodate bricks of different sizes I provide the adjusting screws 38threaded into the clutch element 26. By loosening the set screw 29 andturning the bolts 38 the desired adjustment is obtained.

The two rotors A and B are disposed on their respective shafts wherebythe cutters 30 on each rotor substantially meet, side by side, as doalso the cutters 31 on the oppo site'rotors, the substantially U-shapedannular recess in the peripheral portion of each rotor forming with theother thereof, in the plane of the two axes of rotor rotation, therectangular opening 40 which is substantially of the side and edgedimensions of a brick to be cleaned. It will be apparent that a brickpassing through this opening 40 will be engaged by the cleaning elements30 and 31 on the sides thereof and by the cleaning elements 34- and 35on the edges thereof.

By reference to Fig. 6 it will clearly appear that some of the cutters31 are on different-vertical planes from others thereof. washers 41being employed to provide this arrangement. Thus a greater distancebetween the cutters 30 and 31 occurs at some places than at othersaround the rotors respectively, which arrangement provides for the morefree and ready entrance into the opening of a brick having aconsiderable amount of mortar thereon. In the arrangement illustratedfour of the'cutters 31 on each of the rotors are in the plane of suchcutters closest to that of the cutters 30, and such four cutters do thegreater part of the cleaning done by the cutters on the rotor frame27.'As it is a simple matter to change the washers 41 from one position toanother -a ready compensation had for the unequal wear of the cutters31.

A double bracket bolting, upon a side wall of the casing 10, thisbracket having extensions 46 constituting a seat or rest for the twosprings 47. These springs respectively bear against a washer 48 whichengages a series of balls 49, and the balls engage a collar 50 on theshaft 19. The shaft 19 is also provided with an annular groove 51 inwhich} interfits the yoke 53. This bell crank yoke is mounted rigidlyupon the shaft 54 adapted to rock in bearmg brackets 55 secured as byboltingto,

lever carries a spring-pressed detent 59 adapted to engage any one ofseveral openmgs 60 in a plate 61.bolted to an end wall.

60 and slips into another (35 thereof as'the lever 58 is manuallyoperated,

45 is secured, as by" shaft shifting studs 52 on the bell crank,

10. The detent 59 easily rides thus holding the lever in'one or anotherrelative position.

Rotative motion is communicated to one of the shafts 20 as by the pulley65. Such rotative motion is communicated to the other rotor by means ofgears 66 and 67 these gears being bolted upon the respective rotorframes 23, as by bolts 68. The teeth of the gears 66 and 67 are soformed that they will coact with each other when the axes of rotationofthe two rotors are adjusted toward or from each other, and, will coactwhen the rotors yield. apart when excessive pressure temporarily occursbetween them. Such a yielding apart of the two rotors is provided by thesliding movement of the bearings 15 and 16 respectively in the slot-likeopenings 14, and against the pres sure of the springs 70 pressingrespectively against the bearings and being held in operative positionby spring-holding devices 71 secured to the casing as shown. To preventthe springs 70 from forcing the retors actually into contact with eachother I provide a plurality of stops 72 (Fig. 1) in the form of camsengaging the bearings 15 and 16 respectively, the cams being heldrigidly in a given position by a screw threaded into the casinglO. Thusthe distance between the centers of rotor rotation may be'varied asdesired to accommodate bricks of different widths, and the two rotorsmay at all times yield from each other underexcessive strain.

When the lever 58 is moved upward the shaft 54 is rocked and the yoke 53and pins 52' move the shaft 19 whereby the clutch element 26 is drawnaway from the clutch surface 25 upon the rotor frame 23, the rotor frame27 and its cutters 31 thereupon coming to rest. This feature is providedin order that bricks not having mortar on one side thereof need notbesubjected to cleaning action on that side, the cutters 31 in such casemerely acting to maintain the brick in the desired relation to thecutters 30. Only a very slight retraction of the shaft 19 is necessaryto provide this result. The springs 47 have the additional function ofproviding a give or yield of the rotor frame 27 and cutters 31 ininstances where excessive pressure is brought to bear upon the parts, asby a brick having an unusually large amount of mortar thereon coming between the cutters 30 and 31.

The machine as thus constructed may be practically used for cleaningsuch bricks, but I prefer to includetherewith the featureof providingfor theibriek a predetermined rate of, travel downward between the tworotors whereby the rotors will travel considerably faster where theyengage the brick than the brick itself is moving. To this end I providethe brick support on the lever arm. 81 secured to one of the bushings 18(Fig.

have the pulley 65.

4c), this support thus being adapted to swing on the axis of theassociated shaft 19. For moving the brick support 80 up'and down at adesired rate of travel I provide the crank 82 on the shaft 83 carryingthe gear 84 which is in mesh with the worm gear 85 on the transverseshaft 86 carrying the sprocket wheel 87 on which travels the chain80,.the chain passing over the sprocket 89 on the shaft "20 of thatrotor which does not The bushing 18 (Fig. 4) carries a bell crank lever90. A. pitman 91 secured to' the connection 92 on the crank 82 and tothe bell crank by a ball and socket joint 93 (Fig. 3) completes theconnection whereby the brick support 80 is moved up and downperiodically during the operation of the machine. After the brick hasbeen supported and its travel downward limited. by the support 80 duringthe clean ing operation the free end of the support 80 comes out of suchsupporting contact with the brick and the latter then falls upon thebelt convey'er 106.

I have also shown means for preventing some of the cutters fromoperating upon a particular side of the brick by the interposition of aprotecting piece. For purposes of illustration I have shown thisprotecting piece as beingadapted to operate on the side portion of themade to operate on other port-ions thereof. These means comprise, in theillustrative embodiment shown, a flat piece of metal 95 on a lever arm96 secured to a bushing in all respects like the bushing 18 of Ilig. 4-,the bushing also carrying the lever 97 traveling in a slot 98 in the topwall of the hous ing. Suitable stops 99 and 100 limit the movei'nent ofthis brick protecting device. In Figs. 1 and 3 I have shown this devicein operative position. By moving the lever 97 into engagement with thestop 99 the protecting part 95 comes out ofthe operative position shown,whereupon a cutting action is had upon the brick by the cutters 30.

For carrying bricks to and from themachine I have shown merelydiagrammatically conveyer belts and 10.6, a brick 106 being conveyingmeans are well known and require no detailed description orillustration. An opening 107 in the top wall of the housing enables theoperator to place the bricks upon the rest 108 in position to be cleanedas the part 108 periodically comes into the position shown in Figs. 1, 3and 5.

lVhile I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of theseimprovements, the same are not limited to the specific structure soshown. Reference should be had to the accompanying claims to determinewhat I contemplate as included in the present invention.

gagement with said cutters brick, although it may. be

shown on the belt 106. Such a I claim:

1. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of a rotor having anannular substantially U-shaped recess in a peripheral portion thereof,cutters in said recesses adapted to engage simultaneously two sides andan edge of a brick to be cleaned, means for holding a brick inassociation with said cutters, and means for rotating said rotor.

12. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of a rotor having anannular substantially J-shapedopening in a peripheral portion thereofadapted to accommodate a brick to be cleaned, said opening havingbrick-cleaning cutters on the three sides thereof, a wall of saidsubstantially U- shaped opening being yieldable with respect to anotherwall thereof whereby said yieldable wall may move relative to such otherwall when excessive pressure is brought to bear against said yieldablewall by a brick in said substantially U-shaped opening during theoperation of the machine, and means for rotating said rotor.

23. In a brick cleaning machine, the combin ation of a rotor having aplurality of cutters thereon so arranged as to operate simultaneouslyupon a side and edge portion of a brick, means for holding a brick inenduring the cleanmg operation, means for rotating said rotor, andremovable obstructing means adapted to be positioned between said brickand one of said cutters where the same would otherwise engage saidbrick.

In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of a pair of rotors mountedon substantially parallel axes and with peripheral edge portions of onecloscto peripheral edge portions of the other, each of said. rotorshaving a substantially Ushaped recess with cutters therein, saidrecesses registering with each other and being of-such proportions thata brick to be cleaned may pass between the axes of rotation of saidrotors and into engagement with said cutters Where said rccessesregister with each other, and means for rotating said rotors wherebyboth rotors move in the same direction where such brick is adapted topass between the same.

5. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of a pair of rotorsmounted on substantially parallel axes, each rotor having anannularsubstantially Ushaped recess in the periphery thereof, saidrecess having brick cleaning devices therein, the recess of one rotorregistering with the recess of the other, the arrangement being suchthat a brick may pass between the axes of rotation of said rotors and beengaged simultaneously by the cutters of each thereof, means forrotating said rotors in the same direction Where the brick is adapted topass between them, and means for limiting the movement of a brickpassing between said rotors.

&- 1,239,480

(3. In a. brick cleaning machine, the combinatioii of a pair of rotorsmounted on axes spaced apart, each rotor having an annular substantiallyU-shaped recess therein, said recesses registering with each other andeach havingbrick cleaning elements therein, the combined area of saidrecesses where they registerwith each other being substantially definedby the side and edge dimensions of a brickto be cleaned, the arrangement being such that a brick may pass between the axes of rotation ofsaid two rotors while simultaneously in said recesses, some of saidcutters being mounted to yield when excessive pressure is brought tobear against'them by a brick in said recesses during'tlie operation ofthe machine.

7. In a brick cleaning machine, a rotor comprising in combination a pairof rotor frames, one of said frames carrying brick cleaning cutters, theother of said frames being adal'itedto hold a brick in engagement withsaid cutters, a clutch for communicating rotative motion from one ofsaid rotor frames to the other thereof, each of said rotor framescarrying onc'of the coiiperating clutch parts of said clutch, and meansfor o mrating said clutch.

S. In a brick cleaning machine, a rotor cm'nprising in combination tworotor frames, each having a plurality of cutters thereon, the cutters oneach frame being mounted to travel in a plane to which the axis ofrotation is substantially perpendicular, one. of said rotor framescarrying a plurality of cutters between the respective planes ofrotation of said first mentioned cutters, a substantially U-shapedannular recess thus being formed defined by the cutting surfaces of saidcutters, one of said rotor frames being spring pressed toward theotherthereofand being mounted to move in the directions of the axis ofrotation of said rotor. V

9. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of two rotors mounted onsubstantially parallel axes and with peripheral edge portions of onesubstantially meeting corresponding peripheral edge portions of theother intermediate said axes, each rotor having a substantially U-shapedannular recess in the edgeportion thereof, said rccesses registeringwith each other where said rotors substantially meet each other, outtersin each of said recesses adapted toenga ge the two side portions'and anedge por tion of a brick, the cutting surfaces ofsaid cutters bein so saeed at art res ectivel that a brick to be cleaned may pass be tween theaxes of rotation and into engagement with said cutters where said rotorssubstantially meet 'each other, and means forinoving said rotor-sin the"same direction where they substantially meet each other. V i

' 10. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of two rotorsmountedon substantially parallel axes and with peripheraledge portionsof one substantially meeting corresponding peripheral edge portions ofthe other intermediate said axes, each rotor having a substantiallyU-shaped annular recess in the edge portion thereof, said rece 3sregistering with'each other where said rotors substantially meet eachother, cutters in each of said recesses adapted to engage the two sideportions and an edge portion of a brick, the cutting surfaces of saidcutters being so spaced apart respectively that; a brick to be cleanedmay pass between. theaxcs of rotation and into engagementwithlsaidcutters where said rotors substantially meet each other, means formoving'saidrotors in tie same direction where they substantially meet"each other, and means for'limitingthe more- 'ment of a brick while inengagement with said cutters.

11. In a brick cleaning machine, a rotor comprising in combination apair of rotor frames, each having a; plurality of cutters thereon inannular arrangement and substantially facing each other, the cutters ofrne frame being spaced from the cutters of the other frame substantiallythe width of a brick to be cleanechone of said frames hav-' ing a femalemember of a conical friction clutch, the other of said framescarryingthe male member of said conical frictioirclutch, one of said framesbeingmounted to move in directions toward and away from the otherthereof, means for rotating one of said frames, and means for moving oneof said frames in directions toward and from the otherthereof, thearrangment'being such that rotati've motion communicated to one'of saidframes is communicated to'the other thereof through said. frictionclutch.

JAoou s J; ,rnianrnf Copies of thispatent may be obtained for Five centseach, byaddressing the Co mxx'iis's'ioner' otPatents Washington; I). O.1 i

